Iran says it’s finding ways around US naval blockade

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said this week that Tehran's oil industry is actively working to circumvent the U.S. naval blockade that has crippled the country's crude exports, even as data from vessel-tracking firms shows Iranian shipments have plummeted to near zero.

"The oil industry has not sat idle and has not stopped," Paknejad told the Iranian Students News Agency. "We are pursuing various solutions and different measures so that we can reach a day when we are able to completely bypass this blockade."mehrnews+1

Exports Collapse Despite Defiant Rhetoric

The minister's claims stand in sharp contrast to the available shipping data. According to Reuters, Iran has gone roughly seven weeks without shipping meaningful crude exports through the Strait of Hormuz — the first time that has happened on record. Trade intelligence firm Kpler, along with Vortexa and TankerTrackers.com, confirmed that no Iranian crude cargoes have successfully transited the strait to China since the blockade was reinstated on July 14.straitstimes+1

Iran managed to load around 260,000 barrels per day for export in August, an 80% drop from the 1.7 million bpd loaded in August 2025, according to Kpler data cited by CNBC Comcast Corporation ↘ 2.24%. TankerTrackers.com estimated that Iranian exports fell by 100% in August compared to the pre-war baseline of January and February 2026.oilprice

Paknejad acknowledged that Iran used a brief window when the blockade was lifted between mid-June and mid-July — following a short-lived U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding — to move crude outside the Persian Gulf and pre-position it for later delivery to customers.kpler+1

China Refuses to Back Down

The blockade is part of a broader U.S. economic campaign. On August 24, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent launched "Operation Economic Outcast," designating roughly 60 entities in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and other countries for facilitating Iranian sanctions evasion.atlanticcouncil+1

China, Iran's top and nearly sole oil buyer, responded defiantly. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing was "firmly opposed" to what it called "illegal unilateral sanctions" and would "take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests."247ureports+1

Pressure Building on Tehran

Despite Iran's public optimism, senior Iranian sources told Reuters that the combined weight of the blockade and new sanctions is "growing increasingly difficult to withstand." Three senior Iranian officials described mounting pressure on government finances and foreign-currency reserves as crude accumulates on tankers unable to leave the Persian Gulf.reuters+1

The standoff underscores a central tension: while Iran insists it can outlast Washington's economic war, the data suggests the blockade is achieving what years of sanctions alone could not.